Forgive Me
by Shayril
Summary: Sarah's thoughts while she confronted Jareth just before she said the words. (One-shot)


Shayril: Hey, everyone. I'm ba-ack! Navi: (Groaning) Oh, dear gods! Are you ever going to get out of this phase? Shayril: It's not a phase. I already told you that. I have absolutely no intentions of ever quitting until I've completely run out of ideas or I die, whichever comes first. Kalika: Yay!!! Navi: (Glaring) Don't tell me you actually like these things. Kalika: Of course I do. I have to I'm her muse. Navi: So am I, but I hate the damn things. Shayril: (Making tsking noises) Why can't you just enjoy the fruits of our labor like a normal person. Now shut your yap so that everyone can get to the fic.  
  
Forgive Me  
  
By: Shayril  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or anything associated with it and since I am not yet a rich, famous author there would be no point in suing.  
  
Sarah gathered her courage and jumped down towards her baby brother. As she fell through the air the room around her changed. The many staircases floated in a black space. She landed gracefully on her feet Toby was nowhere to be seen. Then, sensing something behind her, she turned to find the architect of this entire thing stepping from the shadows dressed all in white. He looked every bit the king he was with the white mantle flowing behind him. His mismatched eyes were calculating and determined like those of some great cat stalking its prey. It set her blood on fire and made her heart beat at an incredible pace. She pushed it all aside and watched him as he came towards her.  
  
"Give me the child."  
  
"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up till now," he said. "But I can be cruel."  
  
"Generous?" She forced a tone of disbelief into her voice. "What have you done that's generous?"  
  
"Everything! Everything that you wanted I have done," the Goblin King replied heatedly. "You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Isn't that generous?"  
  
Though he tried to hide it, Sarah could see in his eyes that he spoke the truth. He was exhausted. She knew it, and she hated the fact that it was her fault. He had indeed been generous despite all her thoughts and words to the contrary throughout this whole ordeal. She wanted to make him feel better. She truly wanted to thank him for all that she had demanded of him. Many times during her trek through the Labyrinth she had complained about how unfair it was. he was. In truth, she was the one being unfair. It wasn't his fault that she had wished her brother away. It was hers. She had carelessly said the words. Granted, Sarah had no idea it would actually work, but she had still said them. She couldn't rightly blame the Goblin King for merely playing a role despite the many times she had in the last thirteen hours.  
  
By this point she was mature enough to realize the truth and she wanted to apologize for not doing so sooner. But she couldn't. She had Toby to think of so rather then say the words she wanted, Sarah said the words she had memorized from her favorite play.  
  
"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City. My will is as strong as yours and my kingd."  
  
"Stop! Wait!" She could see the desperation in his eyes. "Look, Sarah. Look what I am offering." He said enticingly. "Your dreams."  
  
A round crystal appeared in the Goblin King's hand and he held it towards her on the pads of his fingers. She wanted more than anything to accept his offer. For so long she had wanted it, even before she ever met him for real. But she couldn't, she had to get Toby back for her father and Karen. She couldn't just leave them to mourn the loss of the child. children, she conceded, that they loved so much. And so, she continued, knowing she would hurt the one she cared for most.  
  
"And my kingdom as great," she continued, seemingly without breaking stride.  
  
"I ask for so little. Just let me rule you and you can have everything you want."  
  
"My kingdom as great," she repeated, the next words were a blank to her. "Damn! I can never remember that line."  
  
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave," he continued in his attempts to sway her.  
  
"My kingdom as great," She murmured, trying to remember the last line, though hoping she didn't. "My kingdom as great."  
  
Suddenly the line popped into her head and her eyes snapped to his face. The Goblin King's own mismatched eyes pleaded with her to agree to his offer. They implored her to stay with him as she so wanted. They begged her not to say the words. But she couldn't comply, no matter how much she wanted to.  
  
So, hating herself for remembering them, she said in a voice that was far more final than she truly felt, "You have no power over me."  
  
Sarah's heart sank as she stared into his eyes. Their mismatched depths had a sad, broken look in them as he tossed the crystal into the air and it crashed to the floor. Those were the last words she had ever wanted to say to him, but there was no possible way she could've avoided it without bringing pain to her father and Karen. She tried to speak, tried to explain to him, but it wouldn't have mattered. What was said was said and could not be undone.  
  
Before she knew it she stood in the foyer of the house she lived in with her family and watched as he flew out the door in his owl form. Later that night after she and her friends had finished their celebration, she stood at her open window. Her face was turned up into the light breeze that whispered through the trees. Her heart was heavy as she thought back on the party. Sure, she had loved laughing and dancing with her friends, but she couldn't help feeling wretched for celebrating defeating someone that she had had no desire to defeat. During the merrymaking she had noticed him perched outside her window in his owl form, watching her with eyes full of sadness. It broke her heart all over again as she thought of it.  
  
Just then the door opened a crack and her stepmother poked her head in. "Sarah?"  
  
She turned to face the woman. "Yeah?"  
  
"I just wanted to say goodnight."  
  
She didn't know how, but the girl actually managed to smile. "Good night, Karen. See you in the morning."  
  
Her father's wife smiled back and quietly closed the door behind her. Sarah sighed as she turned back to the window. She too was going to go to bed she just wanted to savor the feel of the breeze a little longer. As she stood there, she had the feeling of being watched and looked around, knowing who it was and hoping to see him. Her heart sank when there was no sign of him though she hadn't really expected to find any. She lingered a moment as she thought hopefully, 'Jareth, I didn't mean those words. I never wanted to say them. Please, please forgive me'. With one last sigh, Sarah quietly slipped into her bed.  
  
Shayril: So, what'd ya think people? Did you like? Dislike? Please, please, please let me know. I would really appreciate it. Navi: (Reluctantly) That was actually decent. I can't believe you actually wrote that. Shayril: (Indignantly) Hey! I'm a good writer. Kalika: Yeah. You know you think so too, Navi. When are you going to stop being so sour and admit that you like Shayril's stories? Navi: Never, because it's not true. Kalika: (Rolls her eyes.) Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Navi. One of these days I'll get you to admit it. Shayril: That sure would be something. Anyway, I have to go. Thanks for reading everyone and like I said, please let me know what you think. Anything that proves Navi wrong would be greatly appreciated although all reviews are welcome. 


End file.
